Behind the Happiest of Smiles
by Ky03elk
Summary: They had originally been so in love, yet their happy existence is slowly being ripped to shreds and all that Alexis is left with are broken fragments of an illusion. While she hides behind the happiest of smiles, Kate sees through the façade, and the detective is soon caught between her fiancé and his daughter, as she attempts to find a place inside her future family. AU after 6x05
1. Chapter 1

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_This__ leaves __canon__ after season six, __episode __five__- __Time __will __tell__._

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_While __I __may be __the __writer__, __I do not personally share any of the views expressed by Alexis. I am merely building a story, which expresses how she might be feeling in the situation created._

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_Warning for domestic abuse._

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* * *

Pushing the key into the lock, Alexis hesitates; there's a hitch in her step, a fraction of a second when the air catches in her lungs and she can't help but cogitate this is not what coming _home_ should feel like.

They had originally been so infatuated with the idea, so in love with the apartment, with each other. Yet as she stands here, paused, not wanting to enter her own home, she realizes that there are parts to being an adult that are not living up to her ideal. The happy existence she thought they would have is slowly being ripped to shreds and all that she is left to grasp are broken fragments of an illusion.

Essentially, it had all been an illusion.

Gathering her strength, she forges ahead, opens the door wide, and peers in to the living area. Thankfully, it all seems quiet and with cautious steps, she moves forward, allowing the door to close softly behind her. As the stillness continues, she takes the time to place her belongings in the spot she's created for them, sidesteps the articles of clothing that have been discarded across the expensive rug.

Alexis recalls the production that had occurred as her Gram had presented the extravagant piece; hand woven materials that would have taken hours to design. It's so delicate and complicated in the way that the pattern manifests itself, and Alexis could spend hours staring at it. She's touched by both the effort that had gone in to producing something so beautiful, and by the effort her grandmother must have gone through in choosing such perfection.

At the time Alexis had been so moved by the housewarming gift, yet it hits her, how much this simple scene is now a metaphor for her life. An expensive rug that is being drowned in all that is _him_.

Walking into the kitchen, her eyes widen at the exhibit before her; two large bouquets of flowers sit proudly on display, and it's as if her previous thoughts were nothing more than tendrils of smoke, floating away in a gentle breeze. She has the sweetest boyfriend... _most of the time._

"Hey, Al."

His words catch her by surprise and she jumps slightly, but as he circles her from behind, plants kiss after gleeful kiss against her cheek she relaxes into his embrace. Breathes in the warm and loving man he can be. That he usually is.

"Hey. What beautiful flowers. Are they for me?" she asks, as if there is any doubt, and her question earns her a high-pitched giggle.

"Who else would they be for, silly?"

She smiles at that, treasures the feeling of being loved.

It's occasions like these when she is so undeniably adored, that contrast so sharply with the other side of their life, and she just can't comprehend why it can't be like this all the time. Why their bubble sporadically bursts?

"Dad phoned while I was between classes. He wants us to have dinner there tomorrow?" Her voice lifts in question, seeking permission. She'd been nervously playing the idea over in her head all afternoon. Had contemplated what would be more detrimental, showing up for dinner with Pi, or without, and having him find out that she never passed the invitation on.

"Well that will be fun." His sarcasm is heavy and it takes her by surprise, forms icicles of fear which slide down her back. Maybe keeping her mouth shut would have been a better option.

"Yeah, we haven't seen him or Grams much lately. It will be nice to catch up… don't you think?"

The hand that had been lovingly stroking her arm becomes a little too tight, and she remains frozen, prays to anyone that will listen that he lets it go. It's just dinner, what's the worst that could happen?

"Can't wait, Al." His fingers contract for a moment, not hard enough to bruise but it's enough to hurt. "Mr. C is hilarious and your Gram is a keeper."

He moves away from her, drifts toward the fridge and she inhales for the first time since she had brought it up. It's okay. Everything's okay.

"Did you grab the coconut milk on the way home?"

_Shit_.

She can almost feel the air being sucked out of the room, the temperature plummeting. How in the world had she forgotten to grab that? She knew that it was important, had listened to him go on for most of that morning about how it was essential for their dinner, and now…

"I'll run back out, it will only take me a minute." Alexis heads for the doorway as she offers her solution, but it's too little, too late, and his next words have her halting before she even leaves the room.

"Let me guess," he sneers. "So busy chatting away with your little rich friends. Your _oh_ so smart crowd of intellects, that the simple task of getting _one_ thing slipped your mind."

Alexis feels the area within the kitchen close in on her and turning to face him, she hopes that the expression of contrition clearly visible on her features will be enough to calm him down. But it only takes one look at Pi to have her moving backward; as if creating a gap between them will prevent what is going to happen, delay the inevitable.

Since when did this become her inevitable?

"Ever since you went back to college, it's like you are just too good for the lowly existence of me." His right foot shifts forward and her eyes close a fraction. "Am I not good enough for you now? Not _rich_ enough? Not _smart_ enough? Tell me Alexis…," Her name is spat into the space between them. "What am I now?"

His left foot brings him another step closer and her teeth catch the inside of her lip. She always wonders in this second, the second before it all goes wrong, how someone who can be so cheerful, upbeat, caring of all things in the world, can turn, become such a different person.

It had started so gradually after they had first moved in, his frustration over being in an apartment that hardly holds a candle to the loft had resulted in unflattering comments about her family, about her, her ability to provide enough income for them to live the way they had been, live the good life. Her college allowance is just not stretching far enough.

In terms of his behaviour, it had seemed that her return to Columbia was the final straw- when his true self had been revealed. Snippety comments had escalated and become shoves against the door when she had been running late, and his hands gripped her arms too tightly when she had forgotten something he deemed important.

She keeps upsetting him; it's her fault- _it always is_- if she could just be more considerate, more understanding, then none of this would transpire. Or at least that what he chants whenever he becomes angry.

"Why do you do this, Al? Why do you make it so hard for me to love you? It was one simple thing. Is that so hard to get right? Is it?" The small of her back hits the counter, the hard edge resisting any more movement, and she waits.

Why does she do this?

He is right after all. She only had to get one thing on the way back and she had screwed it up. She is forever screwing things up. This is not new. Some of her earliest memories consist of curling herself into the tiniest of balls. Hiding at the top of the loft's staircase, listening as her father had argued with her mother. A mother that didn't want, nor love her. At least that's how it had appeared to her as she had clutched Monkey Bunkey.

But she's not a little girl anymore, and a stuffed animal is no longer enough to reassure her that all will be okay.

Lost in her own memories she is forced into the present as his fingers close around her upper arms. She doesn't know whether to be thankful that the bruises remain hidden, always contained within her clothed skin. Or would she be braver, able to walk away, if he left a mark where it could be seen.

How did she ever come to be in this situation?

Her head snaps back, red strands flowing around her face as if she were in a shampoo commercial and this thought almost has her giggling. _Almost_.

She detaches from the scene, mentally curls into the ball she had perfected as a child. His words seem far away, as he continues belittling her, fingers digging into skin that is already marred. Her eyes close as the metallic taste of her own blood fills her mouth, her teeth having pierced her gum, and she concentrates on the taste. That and the notion that he doesn't mean it. He'll be Pi again if she just waits long enough.

* * *

Sitting on the edge of their bed she twirls the tulip between her fingers, ignores the nagging little voice that is insinuating that she had probably paid for her own flower, her own gift of apology.

He had been nothing but apologetic since yesterday's accident, '_sorry_' trips from his tongue, time after time, as he had again begged her for forgiveness. It really was her fault for forgetting what he had asked for. She can't blame him for her own absent-mindedness. It's just that being back at college, surrounded by her friends, time eaten away by classes and assignments, has left her little time for him. But, all he has is her. Displaced in a city that's not his own, dragged here by her and the promises she had made, that she could take care of them, take care of him, if he would only follow her back to the States.

She had been so empty, so devastated after hearing her father's announcement days before she had hopped on a plane for Costa Rica. He had stood there, arm clutching Beckett to his side, a grin from ear to ear. Excitement had leeched from every word and it coiled around her soul, crushing her from within. They were getting married. He was getting married _again_.

On her better days, she is happy for him, for them. They have struggled, fought, and clawed their way into the position they are in now. But she's not stupid, _hell_, her dad is forever proclaiming that she is the smart one in the family, and she is merely waiting for the phone call that destroys his life once more. He may have forgotten what he was like, what life was like during those painful months after the detective's shooting, but she fiercely holds onto those memories. It will forever prove her point that her dad is better off with someone who deserves him. Someone who loves him completely.

She knows what it is now, to love someone with all your heart. She's a grown woman, and her father needs to start acting like a grown man for a change. Getting married to Beckett is merely replacing one person for another. As she had spread her wings, strutted forth into the world, he had latched onto something shiny and new and she's waiting, anticipating for when it all goes sideways.

Because really, is it going to end up any other way between them?

Alexis' thoughts are interrupted as Pi walks past, dropping a tender kiss against her forehead as he finishes getting ready for their dinner at the loft, and she tugs at the long sleeves of her shirt, ensuring that they will hang low enough to cover the blemishes that are blooming across her pale skin.

Her lips turn upwards as she admires his form, the laid-back motions as he slips into his shoes, the lazy turn of his lips as his eyes slide over her.

"You ready to go, Al?"

* * *

Kate's nails pierce the bridge of her nose as she watches Castle bounce nervously around the kitchen, cringes as he nearly drops the glass bowl containing the salad she had made. It had taken hours on the net, scrolling through one bizarre recipe after another, trying to find a middle ground. Finding something for Pi to eat, as well as something to satisfy Rick's appetite, had meant the writer's idea of cooking steak for dinner had been quickly shot down. While she shares Castle's… irritation over Alexis' boyfriend, Kate's been doing all she can to walk the tentative line of politeness, ignoring how the hair on the back of her neck rises whenever she is in Pi's presence.

He appears to be a happy-go-lucky kid, and while he definitely dances to a different drum, he, on the few occasions where they have been in a room together, seems to make Alexis happy; almost as much as he makes Castle miserable.

She speculates that this is the hardest part of their relationship, at least at the moment. They have gotten through so much in the past, overcome so many internal issues, but this is the first big external hurdle they are having to face. An outside force, that they themselves have little control over. And she is more than a little lost over what to do about the situation. Except be there. Remain by Castle's side. Hopefully offer enough advice on what being a teenage girl is like.

"Beckett?"

Looking up she realizes that she has not heard most of the conversation that he had been having with her, and she offers an apologetic lopsided grin. Pushing off from the counter she crosses the space between them, wraps her arms around his hips, fingers slipping easily into the back pockets of his jeans. Wiggling them slightly, it results in him canting his lower half forward into her own and her grin explodes into an all-encompassing smile.

"Sorry, Castle. I completely missed all that was coming out of your mouth." Her eyes dart to the body part in question and she shimmies against his frame and watches as his tongue peeks through his lips, wets them as if he were parched.

Rocking forward onto the tips of her toes, Kate captures the now moist flesh, opens wide as she grants him access into the warm heat of her mouth, inserts her tongue in order for it to do her own exploring. Time passes without notice, before she leans back, creating a small space between them, and she whispers into his lips, "Stop worrying so much."

His reply is nothing more than a huff, but she can feel the muscles that align her body, relax slightly at her words and it encourages her to keep going.

"I can understand your frustration about the situation, Castle, but we've spoken about this before."

His head moves so that his nose can bury itself into the corner of her neck; hiding underneath her long wavy hair, he shies away from the topic again.

It remains quiet as she waits him out. She is getting so much better at waiting him out, and eventually his voice, muffled as a result of her skin, breaks the silence.

"I just hate all that she is doing with her life right now, all that she is throwing away by being with…" His irritation is evident despite his avoidance and she repositions them so she can see as well as hear him. So that he can see her as she speaks.

"I know, Castle, but we all go through that phase of trying to work out where we are and who we are. Alexis just seems to have hit hers late. I mean you never had the whole teen angst spectacle, so maybe it's all kind of rolled in to one big… _drama_." Kate knows she went through the same thing, although from memory she was more about pushing the boundaries within herself, rather than pushing everyone else around her with rude and obnoxious behavior. Nevertheless, each girl to her own she figures. She just has to hope that this phase ends soon.

"We just have to tolerate Pi until this thing with them runs its course and in the meantime, try not to burn too many bridges with your daughter. Trust me when I say that it will be a long and difficult road to get that relationship back."

Castle nods his agreement, even if she can see it is reluctantly, and he responds, "Put on a happy face?"

Chuckling slightly, Kate reaffirms, brings their lips together as she mumbles into them, "Concentrate on finding a happy place while in his presence."

The hum starts low within his abdominal walls and she feels it, even through the clothes that separate them. It leaves her arching her back, as they close the space between them once more. Yet as per normal, the metal click of the door opening drives them apart. She had forgotten that Alexis and Pi were due, and as they enter, Kate is thankful that that was as far as they had gotten.

Being caught in a compromising position in the kitchen is the last thing her relationship with Alexis needs.

Grasping Rick's hand, she slides her fingers between his larger ones, feels her skin stretch as she accommodates his size, and using their joined hands she pulls him toward the entrance way. Tries to mask the reluctance she can already sense building as Pi makes himself at home; kicks his shoes off in the general direction of the hall closet.

"Hi, Dad." The timid nature of Alexis' words has Kate releasing her fiancés hand. She subtly shoves at his rear to move him in his daughter's direction and after acknowledging Pi with an awkward wave and half a smile, Kate turns back to watch the two Castles embrace.

Kate observes as Alexis flinches within her dad's arms. She knows that Rick can be a little overeager when it comes to bone crushing hugs, but Alexis isn't usually this hesitant, and she finds the picture before her puzzling.

Something is wrong; years as a detective leave her back straightening as if she were at the scene of a crime. The evidence before her is not making sense and a sigh nearly escapes as she realizes that it's going to be up to her to work out what in the world is happening here.

What has Alexis flinching within her own father's loving touch?

* * *

Castle is not mine

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Big thanks to honeyandvodka for making me make sense with all things spelling, grammar and the encouragement to make the story more,

and to Caskett1 for reading and spotting my goofs!

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You comments-reviews are valued!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Domestic Abuse can occur to anyone, by anyone. If you or someone you know needs help, please Google your local helpline xoxo

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* * *

Standing at the door, Kate questions what she's about to do, and rotating on the spot, she heads back along the dimly lit hallway. Indecision seizes her every action and her feet stop again. She had come here for a reason, an important one at that, but as she contemplates her next course of action, the apprehension over a possible confrontation bears down on her.

She is here with nothing more than conjecture and questions, and if it had been anyone else, Kate may have felt confident addressing the situation, but it's not just _anyone_. It's Alexis and she has a perplexing, kryptonite power over Kate's belief in herself. After all, in the not so distant future, they will be forever linked, joined as a family through their love of Rick. Alexis will be her stepdaughter, and Kate's nose wrinkles in distaste. Does this make her the evil stepmother?

And that thought leaves her shuddering; a spasm that migrates the length of her spine.

The last thing she wants is to have Alexis thinking she is trying to overstep the boundaries; that she is trying to be a mother figure. The red head has her own, although not the most stunning of examples, but still, Kate doesn't want that type of relationship with her, would be content with a friendship. Geez, at this point in time, she would settle for a harmonious coexistence, one free of cantankerous comments or worse, no comments at all.

There is nothing deadlier than Alexis' silent treatment.

Kate is pulled from her internal argument as she hears cursing being muttered loudly from further down the passageway, and it's only a second later before Alexis appears at the top of the stairs, overloaded with heavy bags. Any chance of heading home has disappeared in an instant, and it forces a smile onto Kate's face, as she offers to take some of the items out of the younger girl's hands.

Ignoring the confused expression that is clearly present on Alexis' face, Kate moves forward, grabbing several of the grocery bags without waiting for a response and her actions startle Alexis out of her bewilderment.

Kate can count on one hand the number of times they have found themselves alone _together_, especially in the last two years or so, and she expects finding her– of all people– outside of the apartment door has thrown Alexis for a loop.

Standing to one side, Kate follows behind her, and as Alexis unlocks the door, enters her home, Kate becomes conscious of the fact that she has never actually been inside. She had dropped Castle off before but that had been as far as she had made it, and Kate is mentally kicking herself.

She really needs to try to create some kind of peace treaty with Alexis, form a bond between the two of them, and not just for Castle's sake. Kate has great memories of their earlier relationship; discussions over how a case could unfold, chats about traveling abroad, but these days, Kate is lucky if she can get a complete sentence out of the girl.

Off-loading the bags next to where Alexis had placed hers, Kate's prying eyes dart around the small space. Everything is tidy, everything is in order; everything of Alexis' that is. Anything that could be associated with Pi; clothes, plates of discarded fruit peel, glasses of green sludge, are randomly scattered throughout and Kate is at a loss as to what she should say next.

"I like your rug." Kate indicates, a hand sweeping in its direction, and while the comment is a little odd, it seems to have the desired effect as Alexis lets out a laugh.

"Yeah, I like it too."

Smiling at each other, the ice, while not broken, is at least fractured, and Kate relaxes against the counter, works on her olive branch. "It was good seeing you the other night."

It's not quite the truth but neither have any desire to call it out for what it was.

The four of them around the dining room table had been… _awkward_. Alexis had appeared upset that Martha was not going to be able to make it, or maybe it was Kate's attendance instead. Regardless of the reason, she had spent the evening, sullen, quiet, which in turn led Castle to become over the top as he had tried to fill the silence.

He had desperately wanted the evening to be something more than it was ever going to be.

Pi seemed to have remained the same though, and Kate thinks that that was probably part of the problem, at least for Rick. The boy's life seems unchanged since he had exited the loft with Alexis; still no job, no future, as Rick's rant later that evening had proclaimed.

And Kate had felt stuck in the middle of them all, trying to keep the peace between the four of them; two opposing pairs; it was a position that she really had been uncomfortable in.

Kate mentioning the previous dinner has had the opposite effect on Alexis than she had hoped, and the girl steps aside as though hiding behind the bags on the counter, and avoids standing next to Kate.

Taking a deep breath Kate slides up beside her and asks, "Do you want a hand?"

Her question, while simple enough, has Alexis jerking away, startled and Kate again feels the sense of unease creep along her back; jumping to that degree over a basic question is… _strange_. Unnatural.

Whatever doubts Kate may have had before, over why she is here, they are quickly evaporating, and she takes another step closer to the young girl.

"Alexis?"

Kate has spoken to hundreds of victims, to families, and she puts it all into use; her training, her techniques, creates the most delicate of tones, as she says Alexis' name. However, before Kate can go further, she is abruptly cut off.

"Look, Beckett. Thanks for helping with the bags, but I have to go get ready for class. So…," Alexis' words are reinforced by her actions as she makes her way toward the front door, stands to one side of the entryway that still remains open. They had forgotten to close the door after they had made their way through it and if Kate were to believe in signs, she would agree this one is pretty clear. Get out.

It takes all Kate has though, not to growl in frustration. She has no idea how to be what is needed in this situation. Feels so far out of depth, but for Castle's sake she can't let it go that easily.

"Okay, but look... I know we don't have the best of relationships, but if you ever need… _anything_… you have my number, right?" She follows Alexis' lead and hovers at the doorway, but before exiting she stands tall, makes a point of positioning herself in front of the younger girl. Forming and holding eye contact, Kate waits, but Alexis seems resolved in her chosen path. Resistant to Kate's inquiries.

"Yeah. Of course. We're… _I'm fine_."

Kate knows those words. Hell, Kate _owns_ those words, and whatever is happening, Alexis is definitely not fine. But again, Kate is at a loss over what more she can do.

"Good, okay." And in a move that is so very _not _her, Kate steps forward, embraces the red head. Maybe all she needs to do is start taking the first steps, be the grown up in this instance, let go of the tension that Alexis' actions have caused her. Wipe the slate clean, so they can start again. Kate has to hope that Alexis is mature enough to give her the same grace.

However, as Kate's arms wrap stiffly around the girl's shoulders in a loose embrace Alexis flinches at the slightest touch, and Kate reels as she feels the motion.

Pulling back, she watches as Alexis studies her shoes, avoids her piercing gaze and Kate is hit by the sudden thought.

Oh, _hell_ no.

Moving with lightning speed, Kate's fingers firmly grip ahold of Alexis' shoulders; attempts to apply enough pressure so that she can get the girls attention, but as her fingers grasp even slightly, it's enough to bring a whimper out of Alexis, and Kate's suspicions are confirmed.

She releases the girl quickly.

"Alexis?" Kate says each syllable deliberately, as if she could draw out the whole story if she could only say Alexis' name slow enough, but the only indication that Alexis hears her is the way the red head closes her eyes.

"Is he _hurting_ you?"

Again, there is no response and Kate cups Alexis' chin, supports her head so that it can lift, so that Kate can search her face for the truth.

"Let me see." There is no question in her tone. Anger is pumping through Kate's veins at the thought that someone is laying a hand on the child before her and she forces herself to calm down.

Lashing out at Alexis is the last thing that needs to occur right now.

Taking a deep breath, Kate concentrates on relaxing each of her muscles and when she finally feels the last of the rage ebb out, she again, encloses Alexis within her arms; ignores the way Rick's daughter holds herself frozen.

Brushing the long stands away from Alexis' face, Kate waits for her to lift her eyes, but as the seconds pass by and nothing occurs, she lowers her voice to a whisper so she can ask as gently as possible, "Is Pi hurting you?"

Time stretches but Kate knows how to remain paused in this moment. While they may not be inside an interrogation room, those techniques come in handy, especially in situations like these.

The nod of confirmation is tiny, barely a slight move forward, but Kate takes it for what it is; an affirmation of the horror that Alexis must be living in.

Holding her, she encourages Alexis' head to rest against her shoulder, hugs the younger girl within her soft arms, and attempts to be the support that Alexis must desperately need at this time.

Kate rejoices internally as she feels Alexis eventually lean into her, and while the hold is rigid and tense, it's the first time Kate can recall them hugging since Alexis had returned from her kidnapping the previous year.

Why does it have to take life affecting moments for them to be more?

Placing her lips against the shell of Alexis' ear, Kate whispers, "Go and pack a bag. You're coming home."

* * *

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Thank you to every person that reviewed, the majority of comments were wonderfully heart warming.

And to those that made it a favourite, and added this story to your alerts. It's really appreciated!

.

Big thanks to honeyandvodka for making me make sense with all things spelling, grammar and the encouragement to make the story more,

and to Caskett1 for reading and spotting my goofs!

.

You comments-reviews are valued!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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Domestic Abuse can occur to anyone, by anyone. If you or someone you know needs help, please Google your local helpline xoxo

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A reminder that this leaves canon after 6x05 - Time will tell.

* * *

As Alexis sits inside Beckett's cruiser, she speculates on how wrong this day has gone. She had been blindsided by the detective, caught off guard and somehow the truth has come out; somehow Kate has tricked her into revealing her secret and now Alexis is beginning to regret it all. She needs to make this situation right before it gets too far out of hand. Needs to do damage control.

"When we get home, to the loft I mean, can you promise not to tell dad." She may be unable to look up from her lap to face Kate, but she says the words with force, hoping she will get no argument in return.

Unfortunately, as she brings life to her announcement, Kate had been slowing down for a red light, and suddenly instead of a smooth rolling stop, both girls are jerked, hard into their seat belts as Kate violently hits the brake.

The forceful halt has Alexis turning in her seat and she witnesses what seems to be Kate doing breathing exercises. Deep breaths, one after the other, and as Kate expels a puff of air, each finger that is strained white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly, is released, until Kate is no longer holding on.

"I will not lie to your father, Alexis," Kate says each word with purpose, a declaration and yet all Alexis can do in response is roll her eyes at the stupidity of that sentence.

_Really?_ Because from where she is sitting, it seems that the detective is having some short-term memory issues.

"You've lied to Dad in the past. How is this any different?"

Alexis has no problem remembering the heartache that Beckett had caused. Her father's pain over Kate's lies will forever be etched into her mind.

_I'll call __you__. _What a load of shit!

He had sat for months waiting on the phone to ring, had turned into a shell of his former self thanks to Kate Beckett's lie.

The older woman's reply is nothing more than her mouth opening and closing, as her eyes dart back and forth between the traffic and Alexis.

The speechlessness doesn't last for long though. "What happened in the past between your father and I, is just that– between your father and I. But, I will say this, we have both made mistakes. Kept things from each other that should have been said." Kate pauses, chews at her bottom lip, pushing her teeth sharply into the flesh and Alexis cringes on its behalf.

"We're getting married, Alexis. _Married_!"

Alexis' eyes roll once more. She is well aware of their impending nuptials, hardly needs the reminder when the rock on Kate's finger flashes obscenely for the entire world to see, and as the car moves forward again, Alexis counterattacks.

"Well, this is between Pi and I, and _you're_ still butting in!" Each word is hissed in anger. She should never have revealed what was occurring; she should be home right now, not trapped in the car with her... Whatever the hell Kate is going to be!

Alexis is struck dumb in that second. Kate is about to become her stepmother, and there are a lot of Disney movies that are going to get that characterization right! Cinderella comes to mind, or maybe it will be more like Snow White, and Alexis should start fearing the future consequences that will result from her father's _third_ marriage.

The car jerks to the right and halts again, and Alexis is once more thrown against the seat belt.

"Alexis..." whispers Kate, her eyes fixed firmly onto the side of Alexis' head and she can figuratively feel the heat of Beckett's gaze, yet she refuses to look up from her fingers, which are currently digging into the palms of her hands.

The silence stretches, and even knowing that the car is parked, that there is no rush for the detective to do anything but wait her out, Alexis refuses to acknowledge her and their impassivity continues.

Internally groaning, Alexis feels sorry for the individuals who have gone up against Beckett in the interrogation room, because it doesn't take long for her to crack under the pressure.

"_What_?"

The word sounds more like it should be coming out of the mouth of a three year old, and for a fleeting moment, Alexis has the urge to throw herself back and start a tantrum that would rival any child's.

"Understand this, Alexis. I am telling your father. I have made a promise to him, a commitment that we will not slip back into old habits. That we will move forward from the mistakes of our past. So I will not lie to him."

The statement surprises Alexis, and bizarrely, she feels a loosening within her chest. Despite the situation, hearing her dad's future wife make such a statement has Alexis questioning what she has missed.

She has always known what had been going on in her father's life. They have always been so close, but she wonders if being away from home, being away at college, means she can no longer claim to know all of what is happening. All that has happened. And that thought has icy fingers of unease, crawling up her back.

What if this is real? What if when the two of them stand at the altar and vow that this is it, they mean it? That they are done. Always and forever.

Where does that leave her?

* * *

Kate frets, bounces around the loft in perfect imitation of a trapped bumblebee, nothing can hold her attention for long, nothing except Alexis, who is currently situated in her old room upstairs. All of Kate's bravado had slowly ebbed away, the closer they had gotten to the loft. After her speech about old habits and her refusal to lie to her partner, the rest of the car trip had been completed without another word being said.

While she had arrived at Alexis' suspecting that not all was right with the girl, she had never imagined that Alexis was trapped inside her own living hell, and Kate is at a loss as to what to do next- besides wait for Castle to come home.

Yet as her wish is granted and the front door opens, Kate doesn't know what emotion to feel first? Thankful that he is here? Or apprehension over how this is going to unravel?

"Beckett?" There is surprise in his voice and fire in his eyes, apparently finding her standing in the middle of the loft, hours after she had left for work has him jumping to the wrong conclusion.

"Please tell me that you are playing hooky for a mid-morning booty call!" Castle's glee riddles every word but as he stalks closer, the expression on her face must filter through his lust and he stops short, inches in front of her.

"Kate?" Fear is now paramount as he breathes her name and she is thrown off balance, has no idea how to begin this conversation.

Opening her mouth, she finds the words are caught, unable to exit and her eyes widen in trepidation. How is she going to be able to do this? Verbalize what she has discovered? Explain what has happened to his baby girl?

Kate has always found his relationship with his daughter to be inspiring. In those first few years together, watching the pair of them; their bond, their love, would bring a smile to her face, a quiver to her heart.

Now though... Now she has to...

"I went by Alexis' this morning. I wanted to check in with her after dinner the other night." Kate detaches from the words, locks her own emotions away, the anger, the rage, the uncertainty over how this is about to unfold. She is aware of her position on the outside of their parent-child relationship, respects it. But today she has well and truly planted herself inside that dynamic, a dynamic that has been continuously strained in recent times, and Kate ignores her escalating anxiety.

"Once there I became aware..." Detached is not helping, nothing is helping to get the words out.

"What the hell has happened, Beckett? And _please _stop speaking to me as if I was one of your victims." There's a plea in his voice that lifts his words, his hands sweeping wildly in front of him. Yet as he hears his own statement, he stills, horror causing the lines on his face to deepen, and she comprehends how this must sound to him.

"She's fine, Castle." _Well not really. _"She's upstairs."

The relief floods his frame and he spins, strides across the space toward the stairs, and she rushes the next sentence out. Needs to prevent him from going to Alexis' side, at least until Kate can say what needs to be said.

"Castle... Rick. _Wait_!"

He turns deliberately, and the movement is like watching him in slow motion; she can see the indignation wash over him, the way his body coils ready for a fight. There's a difference between offering advice and actual stepping between them, and she feels she is about to discover the distinction. They have experienced their share of epic battles and Kate braces herself, senses that this is going to be added to the history books.

At least for the first time it will be at his place instead of hers, and she promises herself, promises the ring on her finger, that she will stand by and ride it out. And it's not as though he will storm out of his own home.

"Explain then, Beckett. Tell me what is going on here."

She can do this, she can.

"As I was saying... I went to Alexis' earlier and while there it came out that her relationship with Pi has... deteriorated."

She can do this, she can.

"Rick, he's been hitting her."

There is a quiet, eerie, never-ending silence as they stare, affixed, her announcement frozen between them.

Finally breaking their standoff, Castle's voice is barely above a whisper, stiff, formal, as he asks, "Why were you at Alexis'?"

_What_?

"What?"

"You said you had gone to see her this morning, but you've never just _gone over_ before."

Kate violently shakes her head in disbelief– _talk __about__ shooting __the __messenger_. Her chestnut curls begin tumbling across her face, and she's forced to tug them back, her fingers running along her scalp in dismay. Has he completely missed the point of what is happening to his daughter?

"I thought something was odd with her behavior the other night and went over there to see if she needed to talk."

Her explanation has him marching forward until there are mere feet between them, and he seethes out his response. The anger he apparently feels over not being told her suspicions straightaway, over her approaching Alexis alone, laces every syllable.

"You thought something was wrong with my daughter and days later you what, arrived on her doorstep? Interrogated her until she confessed to everything?"

_What the hell?_

"I'm sorry." The fire in her apology clues him in to how entirely '_not __sorry'_ she is feeling. "Did I miss something? Because I'm not the bad guy here, Castle. And this ring on my finger, I _thought_ it indicated that we are about to be a family. That we are a family..."

She fights the tears that are rising at the back of her throat, that want so desperately to escape at his words; at the way he is looking at her in this moment.

"This... This discussion… I can't... But you are right, Kate. You're not the bad guy here."

Relief, _semi__-relief _floods her system, is enough for her to un-claw her fingers. Each nail has left crescent shaped indentations and Kate focuses on the pain in her hand, rather than the one in her heart.

But any type of respite is short lived as Castle pivots, walks purposely toward the entryway, and the noise of each foot crashing against the wooden floor shakes her from her own agony.

"Where are you going?"

She may as well have not even spoken, given how comprehensively he ignores her as he forcefully yanks the door open, and she tries again.

"Castle... _Rick_!"

The slam of the door closing has her moving, running toward nothing but vacant space, but as she narrows the distance, a slight movement from the top of the stairs has her sliding to a stop.

Alexis is perched, curled into the smallest of balls as if she had been secretly listening in on their argument, the fight that was centered on her, and Kate feels torn in half. Torn between two Castles.

* * *

.

Thank you to every person that reviewed, to say I have been overwhelmed by your response is an understatement. Xoxo

And to those that made it a favourite, and added this story to your alerts. It's really appreciated!

.

Big thanks to honeyandvodka for making me make sense with all things spelling, grammar, and the encouragement to make the story more,

and to Caskett1 for reading, discussing, and spotting my goofs!

.

You comments-reviews are valued!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

.

Domestic Abuse can occur to anyone, by anyone. If you or someone you know needs help, please Google your local helpline xoxo

.

A reminder that this leaves canon after 6x05 - Time will tell.

* * *

Once again, Alexis finds herself sitting next to Beckett as the cruiser weaves through the traffic. Except in this instance, they are travelling with much more haste, and every time that they are forced to a standstill, the tension inside the car escalates.

Alexis has no idea why there is such urgency to get back to her apartment, or why Beckett is so concerned by her father's abrupt exit from the loft. All she is getting are half-muttered words, which escape sporadically as Kate alternates between mumbling under her breath, and attempting to destroy her bottom lip.

She's grateful, whatever the cause of Beckett's anxiety, and she is taking her return home as a win, although she admits to herself the need to go back is not as sharp as it was the last time she had been sitting in this seat. The fight she has witnessed has her questioning some of her assumptions– re-evaluating some of her previous thoughts about the older pair's relationship.

She had been stunned from her position, high on the stairs; hands had gripped her knees firmly, her face hidden as she had curled tightly into herself. She was shocked at the way Kate had proclaimed that they were a family. Had said the word with such _truth_.

Alexis had never really seen herself as part of that group until then, and while she still has major reservations in regards to their future, she is beginning to notice a pattern in the brunette's actions; Kate appears to be one hundred percent committed to her father.

And Alexis can't help but contemplate, _again_, where does this leave her?

Kate violently curses the driver in front of them as it merges without indicating. Having been left with no other option but to back off or risk a fender bender, Beckett slows down, and Alexis takes a risk, commenting, "I don't see what the big rush is. This is hardly the first time Dad has stormed out of an argument."

Beckett's eyes leave the staring competition she had been having with the other car and she twists so that she can peer wide-eyed at Alexis in confusion, and Alexis tries again.

"I don't see why you dragged me out of the loft when you had only just dragged me into it? And all so we could chase after Dad! Who, by the way, has probably broken into _my _apartment and is probably packing _my _belongings. Hell, I could have him arrested for breaking and entering, and all because you couldn't keep quiet."

Inhaling deeply, her rant finished, Alexis slumps further back into the seat's upholstery; crossing her arms over her chest for good measure.

Required to turn back to the front window, because god forbid they end up in an accident, Beckett begins muttering once more, and only being able to catch every fourth word or so is quickly getting on Alexis' nerves.

"If you have something to say, Beckett, just say it!"

Moments pass and it is so silent that a pin could drop to the floor underfoot and be heard. And apparently as it falls metaphorically, so do any reservations Kate may have had about remaining tight-lipped.

"You honestly want to know what the hell is going on here, Alexis?" Beckett's question seems rather redundant and Alexis remains muted.

"First of all, I am _worried_. Your father has been known to have some… _strong_ responses when his family has been threatened or hurt."

Alexis' eyes narrow at the absurdity of Kate's statement, barely manages not to roll her eyes at the older woman as she goes back to nonsensical nattering; all Alexis catches are the words _violent_ and _torture_, and she realizes Beckett must have snapped at some point today. Her father is a teddy bear, a total push over. He has never hurt anyone in his life and she doubts that he is going to start with her boyfriend.

Beckett catches a clean break in the traffic and it presents her with the opportunity to return to her earlier tirade.

"And, Alexis, your dad is hardly the one who will be facing charges when we do arrive at your place. After I convince Castle to take you _home_, I will be taking Pi down to central booking, on his own assault charges."

Alexis gapes in horror, and it is as if ice-cold water has been thrown over her; a chill seeps along her shoulders at the thought. She will not be the one responsible for Pi's arrest.

"You won't have anything to hold him on if I don't give a statement. It's just your word against mine, and I will never forgive you if you go through with it." The venom contained in her declaration is clearly heard, yet as Beckett shakes her head, disbelief painted across her face, Alexis is taken aback at Kate's next remark.

"You think that this is a popularity contest, Alexis? That you… _forgiving me_ has any weight compared to the alternative? Compared to what might take place the next time he gets upset. The next time he decides to use you as an outlet for his anger?"

The car comes to a halt at a red light and it provides Kate with the chance to swivel in the driver's seat, to stare solemnly at Alexis.

"I care about you being alive, Alexis. I care about what it would do to your father if I had to stand next to him while Lanie pulled back a white sheet. What it would do to Martha burying her only grandchild..."

The sentence is spoken so low, with such distress and it takes all Alexis' has to keep her composure, to not break down like the scared little girl she has been feeling of late.

"Those things, Alexis, those things are what I care about."

The car moves forward as Kate swipes aggressively across her cheeks and Alexis realizes that she has her own tears sliding down her skin. She never wanted this. Never wanted to be in this situation. She had just wanted someone to love her.

"He is good to me. Most of the time- when he's happy... He loves me, and… and I try and tell myself that that is enough. That maybe that's all I deserve, especially recently." When she lets herself reflect on where it has all gone wrong, she can grasp how it has been a slow but steady spiral downwards.

Her dad has always been so proud of her, of all that she can do, all the ways she is so grown up, and she can see how it may have gone to her head. When you are the grown-up at sixteen, where does that leave you at seventeen? Eighteen? Where does that leave her now?

She can concede she has made some bad choices, cringes at the way she had left the loft, had left her father, box in hand with barely a backward glance, without even a hug goodbye. But he had pushed her into this position, had pushed her to the sidelines as he had pulled Beckett to his side. Except, as a feeling of unease crawls its way up her back, she is starting to wonder whether she was pushed at all? Or whether the pair of them had been merely waiting for her to join them as they extended the family, rather than start a new one without her?

"Alexis?" Kate's hesitancy as she pronounces her name has Alexis making eye contact with the brunette, holding her gaze as she quietly speaks, "That's not love. Not the love that _any_ person deserves. And you- you have people that love you completely."

A stillness grows between the pair as Alexis mirrors the detective's earlier actions, gnaws at her bottom lip. Beckett's words roll over and over in her mind, and sucking up her remaining shred of pride, Alexis asks, "Do you think he loves me even after all that I have done?"

Sliding a hand past the console, Kate's thin fingers ghost along Alexis', and giving a quick squeeze, they return to the steering wheel as if nothing had occurred. The only evidence; a warmth that is loosening the anxiety in her chest.

"Alexis, your dad will always love you."

* * *

Climbing the steps two at a time, Kate feels her sense of urgency returning with a vengeance. She had come close to physically picking up Alexis at the loft, had wanted nothing more than to throw the younger girl across her shoulder and rush out the door. Worry over Castle's next move had ripped at her stomach, created threads of uncertainty. She has witnessed him hit a man to the point of unconsciousness, and has stood and listened to the screams of a man being tortured. She knows exactly what he is capable of when his loved ones are threatened, doesn't want to know what could happen to someone who had actually done harm to a member of his family.

But she couldn't leave Alexis on her own, who knows what the girl could have gotten up to unsupervised in her current state, and the precious minutes that were lost getting out the front door are playing heavily on her mind.

The calm that had settled onto her in the car, the elation of getting through to Alexis- at least for the time being- is disappearing with every one of her steps to the apartment, and the scene that may be waiting for them on arrival.

Rounding the corner, Kate stumbles over the déjà vu that hits her as she rushes into the hallway. Has it really only been hours since she had paced, indecisive about why she was going to knock on Alexis' door? Has everything unfolded that quickly?

As Castle's loud voice is projected through the open entryway, Kate manoeuvres around the edge of the door, hands gripping the wood as she slides through the doorway and she can sense Alexis is not far behind.

The younger girl may not have any idea what is at stake, but at least she is following Kate's lead without objections. For a change.

Seeing Rick, biceps bulging, as he holds Pi high up against the living room's wall, Kate can infer that in part she is already too late. Blood drips down the boy's face, an uppercut most likely, given the way Castle's knuckles are marred, and Kate curses under her breath. She knows that any chance of pressing charges against Pi are vanishing as Castle continues to assault him.

"Castle… _Rick_!"

Once more she may as well have not have bothered, her screams going unnoticed as Castle pulls his arm back for another blow. Hurrying forward, Kate reduces the distance between them, vaguely hears Alexis' own cries in the background, but as she shifts to block Rick's swing, she comprehends too late that he may not even be aware of their presence.

His clenched fingers travel rapidly toward her own face, and as she jerks away, Castle finally comes to, leaves the cocoon of fury that had overtaken his every rational thought, and focusing on her face, his body lurches backward in surprise and Kate thanks all that she can, for the near miss.

"Beck— _Kate_?"

* * *

.

Thank you to every person that reviewed, I know I have thanked you personally, but it really isn't enough considering how amazed I was passing 100. Xoxo

And to those that made it a favourite, and added this story to your alerts. It's really appreciated!

.

Big thanks to honeyandvodka for making me make sense with all things spelling, grammar, and the encouragement to make the story more,

and to Caskett1 for reading, discussing, and spotting my goofs!

.

I'm on twitter: Ky3elk :)

.

You comments-reviews are valued!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

.

Domestic Abuse can occur to anyone, by anyone. If you or someone you know needs help, please Google your local helpline xoxo

.

A reminder that this leaves canon after 6x05 - Time will tell. (This was written in the weekend after that episode aired, any coincidences are just that)

.

* * *

The wooden door of the loft closes with a gentle click behind her, and Kate takes a moment to stop, to breathe, before she has to confront the two members of the Castle family, who are hopefully waiting somewhere inside.

It had taken over an hour for Pi to rifle through the apartment, collecting his various belongings, while Kate had stood guard; ensured that the things he was leaving with were actually his own. That bastard had taken enough from them and there was no way in hell Kate was going to allow him to rob them of anything else.

At least the time had given her an opportunity to think. To process the events in silence. After her near miss with Castle, she had convinced her dismayed partner to take Alexis _home _so that Kate could deal with the mess.

He hadn't wanted to leave; had become increasingly agitated over his earlier actions, over how close he had come to accidently hitting her. But it was all too loud, too chaotic for Kate, the four of them standing inside the apartment.

Pi had been swearing to Alexis that he would never hurt her again, while Castle swayed between chanting apologies– mortified over what had nearly occurred, and raging again at the younger man. Alexis was having her own issues, hiding behind Kate as she sought out shelter, yet needing to be restrained as it occasionally got too much, and she would coast toward her boyfriend.

Seeing the waver in Alexis' resolve is what prompted Kate to finally propel the reluctant pair of Castles out the door, announcing that they were to go home and wait for her there.

Which brings her back to her predicament by the front door; she has no idea what her next step should be, she had been so focused on the task at hand that she had ignored what would happen next, and now that she is here, she wants nothing more than to turn and flee.

She won't though.

Hearing a scuffing to her right, her head lulls sideways, exhausted, and she inspects her fiancé as he stands, _lost_, in front of the bedroom doors. His hands hidden in his pockets, shoulders slumped forward, head bent low; he is a picture of defeat and it has her walking in his direction.

Stopping with barely inches between them, she stands tall, is proud of herself as she faces the situation. It has not been that long since her actions were completely opposite to her current instinct, and the thought has her left hand moving forward to cradle his chin, lifting his head.

"I'm so sorry, Kate. I will never be able to say-"

Using her thumb, she swipes across his lips, silences the end of his sentence, his apology, and says what she needs to say.

"I know… But it doesn't make it okay."

The statement leaves him reeling, his frame jerking back, and the gap between them grows. His eyes widen causing the skin across his forehead to wrinkle and her hand drifts up, attempts to flatten the corrugated skin.

As his mouth opens, Kate recalls Alexis' previous eavesdropping position, and her head twists to look up the staircase. While it's empty right now, Kate doesn't want to take the risk that this could change, and she indicates toward the bedroom, gives Castle a gentle push until he comprehends what she is silently communicating.

As they step into the room, Kate's lips compress in uncertainty, before her gaze settles on the bed. Resting on the edge, she pats the space next to her and waits for Rick to fold his body so that he can align himself adjacent to her. Waits for him to settle, go still, before reaching across with her hand, and threading her fingers between his, she studies the way her ring appears dwarfed, contained within his grasp.

"I don't know where to start, Castle?"

Her confession hangs, and he seems to be at a loss himself, his only movement is the rhythmic motion of his thumb circling the diamond on her finger.

Seconds pass, before he whispers into the air, "We're going to be okay, though? Right?"

His hesitancy nearly brings her to tears, and she turns slightly, lets herself see him a little easier, as she promises.

"This isn't going to break us, Rick."

Her declaration has his eyes snapping up to take her in, searching her face for reassurance. And whatever he observes is enough to give him hope, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Do you know what upsets me the most?" she asks the question, yet doesn't pause for his answer; carries on regardless.

"It's that my first thought after discovering what Alexis was going through was to come back here, to wait for you to return so we could deal with what happened, together. And your first thought was to leave, run off by yourself." The word _again _remains unsaid, but they both recall the events that had unfolded around Alexis' abduction. Both recall his vow upon his return.

"Sorry isn't going to fix it, is it?" he asks the question with such sorrow that Kate almost smiles. _Almost_.

"No, Castle. But I would like to think that by now we have stopped keeping score of all the ways we're continuing to screw up."

He does smile at that, and she joins him. They do have a way of mastering the art of fucking a situation up.

"I've never done this before."

His statement is met with confusion, as she has no idea what he is referring to, and opening her mouth to seek clarity, she is cut off, as he elucidates, "I've never let anyone into our lives before. Into the relationship between Alexis and I. Even mother is kept out, to a degree."

His explanation still leaves her perplexed and she rushes to enquire, "But what about Meredith? Or even Gina?"

She can't work out how a marriage functions if all parties aren't equal, and then it hits her. They didn't work, did they?

Pulling her hand free, she wiggles sideways, creates a distance between them as she mulls over his confession. Wonders what it means for her.

"I want more this time, Kate. I can't let my past habits destroy us."

He moves as he speaks, goes down before her on bended knees, shuffles until he is able to position himself between her legs.

"I have pushed and pushed at your boundaries, wormed my way in, and I am asking you to do the same."

She focuses on his face, the way his eyes plead with her, yet she still doesn't understand what he is requesting and thankfully, he continues, reads her so well.

"I want you to push your way in, and if I resist, I want you to push with more force, because I won't lose you, Kate. I can't."

"Castle, I don't need to be her parent." _She doesn't want to be. _"I just need to be included."

With that she cups his face, brushes her mouth against his in her own vow. She's not going anywhere.

* * *

Alexis looks at her ceiling, her stare unfocused, while her mind is an overflowing mess of clutter. Each thought darts along more confused than the one before it. The horror at seeing her father's violent side, a side she didn't even know he possessed. The relief of being away from Pi while still mourning the relationship, the love that she has lost. In spite of what had occurred between them.

She is struck by the notion that she never got to say goodbye, had been hustled comprehensively out of her apartment by Beckett, and the last time she will have seen him, he was standing broken as he pleaded with her for just one more chance.

She promises herself, promises the people that love her, that it _will _be the last time she sees him. She will not allow herself to be tempted, to fall again. She owes herself that. She owes Kate that. For as much as she still has the need to rage at the way the detective has kicked over all the parts of her life, she also has a newfound respect for her dad's future wife and what Kate did for her today.

No one has ever really stood up to her before, and it is strangely refreshing– in small doses.

And it's as if her thoughts have manifested themselves as Beckett makes her way through the open doorway, and Alexis sits up to face her. Watches as her father joins his fiancée.

Standing side by side, the two of them make a formidable pair and it results in Alexis straightening her back, squaring her shoulders, as she waits for the confrontation to unfold.

"We need to talk." As her dad speaks, he glides a hand across the small space between Kate and himself, his fingers interweaving with those next to him and the image leaves Alexis breathless.

In all the years of parent–child discussions, this is a first; there has never been _three_ in the room instead of two.

"I'm sorry, Dad. Beck- _Kate_."

She is, truly sorry for her behavior, the things that have been said, for the way she has treated her family recently.

"Alexis." His voice is low, yet strong and it brings her focus onto them again. "You don't ever need to be sorry for the situation that you found yourself in, for what he did to you."

Tears pool, catch within her lashes as he reassures her, tries to ease her guilt over her part in the hell she had been living in, but as Kate squeezes their joined hands, he continues and the next statement frees the liquid entirely.

"But you do need to understand that the behavior of late will no longer be tolerated."

There is nothing but silence; a deadly quiet that grows inside her room– until it feels as if it is going to swallow her whole, and her father's words do nothing to expel the fear in her gut when he finally speaks.

"You are nineteen years old, and are wanting to be treated as an adult. I understand that. Hell, I am at fault for treating you as one, long before you were one." His head shakes, regret flooding his features and Alexis wants nothing more than to hug him, reassure him that he is a good parent. Just maybe not the great one they had both assumed him to be.

"You've always exceeded all expectations that were placed upon you, which you placed onto yourself. But recently, you have been…"

His explanation trails off and he turns to face Kate, eyes pleading for assistance in finishing his sentence. Alexis can never recall her father needing help with his words before.

Kate picks up where he left off, summarizing, "Lashing out in a passive-aggressive manner." The detective's shoulders shrug as if doubting her own words, but she continues, and Alexis realizes why.

"We think it may be partly in retaliation, against us. Our engagement."

Alexis mimics Kate's actions, shrugs her own shoulders, and she confirms Kate's words with a nod of her head, as she attempts to explain the internal chaos.

"It feels like everything is changing, slipping away from me and I am standing on a raft that's been tossed out to sea. And I don't know where I belong, or where I fit in. And not just here, but at college, after my kidnapping… Everything is moving around me, away from me, and…"

The tears from earlier finally become too much and the words can no longer exit. Pi was there, a constant, and even when brutal, he still remained a steady figure in all the discord.

She feels the bed dip, her dad settling in beside her as she is encompassed completely inside of his arms, and she has missed this. Missed being his little girl. And as the bed shifts again she comprehends that Kate is now holding her from the other side, arms fixed tightly, embracing her family.

Alexis closes her eyes, indulges in the sensation of being loved conclusively, because while she had been so fixated on searching for a constant in her life, she had failed to see that she already had one.

* * *

.

A.N: I know many of you wanted Pi to burn for what he did, and I agree, but I wanted this to be as realistic as possible, and in far too many instances, the guilty party never faces any consequences for their actions, due to a variety of reasons.

.

Only an Epilogue follow, but I start publishing my NaNoWriMo contribution in a couple of days if you are after a new story ;-)

.

Thank you to every person that reviewed, I know I have thanked you personally, but it really isn't enough considering how amazed I was passing 100. Xoxo

And to those that made it a favourite, and added this story to your alerts. It's really appreciated!

.

Big thanks to honeyandvodka for making me make sense with all things spelling, grammar, and the encouragement to make the story more,

and to Caskett1 for reading, discussing, and spotting my goofs!

.

I'm on twitter: Ky3elk :)

.

You comments-reviews are valued!


	6. Chapter 6

Epilogue

.

Domestic Abuse can occur to anyone, by anyone. If you or someone you know needs help, please Google your local helpline xoxo

.

A reminder that this leaves canon after 6x05 - Time will tell

.

* * *

Alexis eyes the room painstakingly. It's smaller than her first dorm and she is going to miss the beautiful circular window that overlooked the quad below, but she is grateful to be in housing once more.

She has spent the last five weeks at the loft, _at home,_ waiting for a vacancy to come up at Columbia, and she had finally received the news that a student was dropping out and she could have their empty bed. And while of course she feels a twinge of sadness on their behalf, she is happy that one more piece of her life's puzzle is fitting back into place.

She has used the time at home well though; with Kate's help, she had found a therapist to see, someone she trusts enough to get everything off her chest. All that had happened while being with Pi, her feelings toward her father, toward Kate; she had even explored the lingering consequences of her time in Paris. She knows that it will be an ongoing process, yet she feels she has made some positive steps in the right direction.

And when Pi had tried to contact her, she had gone straight to her Dad and Kate; had confessed to the interaction. She was honest with the pair in stating that there was a part of her that wanted to make things right with him, give it another go. At least now, she has their support and that helps her to know better, to recognize the absurdity of that thought.

Being at home again has also given her the opportunity to become closer with Kate, to return to the relationship that they had started all those years ago, and she senses as each day passes that their tentative friendship is being solidified; becoming a foundation for what she anticipates will be a strong bond between them.

Best of all is that the connection with her dad has slowly begun rebuilding itself, games of laser tag have evolved into serious late night discussions; the two of them regrouping over ridiculously large ice cream sundaes as they talked about where things might have gone wrong, and what they could have done differently. She feels that if she has to be the guinea pig, a role that comes with being the first-born, and he does have more children with Kate, then they can benefit from the lessons that they have learned from the past couple of years.

Hearing her dad's raised voice, she concentrates again on the situation at hand, and tries not to laugh, as he wriggles around on all fours, her Gram standing over him as she instructs from her position of authority.

"Really, Richard. The position of such an exquisite piece is hardly something that can be achieved on the first go."

Castle playfully thumps his head onto the piece in question, his forehead lightly hitting the rug, and Alexis covers her mouth, attempts to contain the laughter that wants to break free.

By the doorway, Kate is not as controlled and begins giggling so forcefully that she slumps to the floor, her head curled between her knees as she muffles the noise. Her whole body shakes with tremors and it only adds to the hilarity of the situation.

Her poor dad has been shifting the house warming present—initially meant for a different house—this way and that for the last twenty minutes, yet no matter what he does, Martha remains unsatisfied by its placement.

Walking to her Gram's side, Alexis links her arm, lightly bumps her body against the older redhead and states with utter certainty, "It looks perfect there, Gram."

And it does. It's where it belongs; and she is where she belongs.

Unfortunately, her dad takes mock offense to being laughed at by Kate, and starts to crawl clumsily in her direction, like a toddler that has found its way into the vodka; his movements push the rug sideways, forming large ridges across the material.

"_Richard!_"

Too intent on tackling his fiancée, he ignores his mother's chastising, attempts to tickle Kate in retaliation for giggling at his pain, and Alexis calls out a stop to their antics.

"Okay you two, that's enough! The two sane members of this family would like the day to remain in the G rated category!" With raised eyebrows, both women stare down at the engaged couple, and taking her advice, they detangle themselves from each other. Her dad fixes the mat to its previous position, before standing.

"You guys should get going anyway." Her words are strong; she has after all done this before, but there is still a shadow of reluctance at the thought of them leaving.

Her Gram moves in first, weathered fingers palming each cheek, and Alexis can already hear the dramatic words that are about to leave the matriarch's mouth, so she jumps in ahead of her.

"Thanks Gram. I'll see you soon."

There is a twinkle in the older woman's eyes, a slight smile tugging at her lips as she replies, "Adios, and I will see you soon, darling."

Her Gram's lips brush across her skin and she exits with a flourish of color, hands waving high over her shoulders as she strolls out the door.

Turning to her Dad, Alexis takes a deep breath, prepares herself for this farewell.

"Do you want me to do a check, Pumpkin?" Her childhood nickname has her shaking her head, and she watches as he dips as if looking under her bed.

"No, Dad. I have your number if I need a middle of the night rescue." Smiling broadly at him, Alexis' eyes flicker for a moment to Kate, including her in the statement and it is not lost on him.

"Good. Cause Kate sleeps with a gun, so day or night, just call." His badly worded pun leaves both girls groaning, and Alexis gives him a good-natured shove toward the door.

As Kate shuffles closer, Alexis makes eye contact with her dad, indicates with a nod of her head toward the exit and thankfully he understands her hint.

"I'll be waiting downstairs."

Rotating to face Kate, she's forced to stumble back as the detective lunges as her, arms wrapping fiercely around her shoulders as she whispers into the long strands of her red hair, "I'm so proud of you, Alexis."

Fighting back the swell of tears, she can only nod, her own arms squeezing tight as they hug, but as Kate pulls back, Alexis pushes the words through her constricted throat.

"Thank you, Kate. Thank you for…" _Everything _sounds so inadequate, yet it is all that Alexis can think of, that comes even close to being enough.

Not waiting for the end of the sentence, Kate replies, "It's okay, Alexis. That's what you do for the people you love. You fight for them. You forgive. You wipe the slate clean and try again."

Alexis comprehends her words, not just in relation to the pair of them, but what it means for Kate and her father. That the past is just that, the past, and it's what you do in the present moment that counts.

"And when I say the people that love you, I am referring to a healthy love." Kate's head wrinkles as she stares expectantly at Alexis; she knows how many of the discussions inside her shrink's office have been about the different types of love that are experienced.

Nodding she feels the odd need to start afresh and she bizarrely holds out her hand to Kate while asking, "Can we wipe the slate clean?"

As the brunette smiles down at her, she nods and grasps the outstretched hand, understanding. "Hi. I'm Kate."

Sharing a chuckle, Alexis shakes her hand and responds, "Hi. I'm Alexis. Welcome to the family."

* * *

Squinting as she steps outside, the sun, while not hot, is still enough to have her shielding her eyes as she adjusts to the brighter light, and standing still, Kate gives herself a moment to breathe it all in.

She's hardly surprised though when the quiet is disturbed as Castle embraces her from behind, his head resting in its spot on top of her shoulder, and Kate leans back into his arms.

"Everything okay?" She can hear that he is doing his best to remove the hesitancy from his tone, and to make it less enquiring as his curiosity gets the better of him, and she grins in response.

"Just being welcomed into the family, Castle."

There's a low hum that begins deep in his chest, his appreciation over her words, over the possibilities that are unfolding before them, and Kate lifts her ringed hand to lightly pat the side of his face.

"She's going to be fine, Rick."

His head turns at her words, lips brushing against the metal that symbolizes their future, that symbolizes how far they have come, and it has Kate twisting inside the bracket of his arms.

"Do we have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?" They had both been so focused on getting Alexis settled that they hadn't given any thought as to what a free afternoon could provide, but as Castle lets her go, moving so that his hand can lace with her own, he begins filling the remaining day.

"Well, I'm hungry, so I was thinking we could start going around to some of the better bakeries. Start taste testing wedding cakes. The whole two birds with one stone approach and then…"

Kate's laughter is drowned out as he continues on, bright ideas tumbling from his lips, one after the other, as she strolls beside him. She savors the feeling of his fingers squeezing their ring between them, basks in the glory of it all. The joy that comes with their future.

* * *

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I hope you enjoyed the ride!

Thank you to every person that reviewed, I know I have thanked you personally, but it really isn't enough considering how your support continues to leave me completely speechless. Xoxo

And to those that made it a favourite, and added this story to your alerts. It's really appreciated!

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Big thanks to honeyandvodka for making me make sense with all things spelling, grammar, and the encouragement to make the story more,

and to Caskett1 for reading, discussing, and spotting my goofs!

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I'm on twitter: Ky3elk :) lots of tracking my NaNoWriMo progress at the moment!

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You comments-reviews are valued!


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